Sunday, October 30, 2011

Just outside of town, by the reservior, there is Red Gate. Passing through the metal red gate and just beyond, are a myriad of trails laid out on what can picturesquely be described as the sweeping Front Range. Quite a sight with the Wet Mountains in the background and Pikes Peak to the north .

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Since we moved to Pueblo from Denver, now 6 years in the making, I always feel like we should take advantage of small town liv'n. Part of living in Southern Colorado means we are close to farms and agriculture and when you have these two, you usually have horses. Plus, we live less than a mile from the Colorado State Fair and since Sophie was born, we have frequented the fair, as well as the stables.

Now that my girl is 6 and she has been asking to ride horses for quite a while, I thought we could test out the waters with taking lessons. I called up a friend of mine who shows quarter horses and has children the same age, and she steered us towards Diana Quintaña for lessons. Luckly for us, Diana has worked with lots of 4H kiddos and is a wonderful teacher. Sophie was very brave and has enjoyed the two lessons she's taken immensely. The first one she rode with Diana on the horse and the second one, she went solo.

I even took a lesson after Sophie on Saturday. I had to laugh at Sophie standing in the middle of the arena with Diana, repeating what Diana had told her to me. "Pull with your left hand, nudge with your right." I grew up riding my grandparents' ponies. Little shetlons who were fun as all get out, but who threw you off and were stubborn as ever. Along with horses, I grew up riding around in pick-up trucks on their last leg and old cadalacs with wheat growing up through the seats with my grandpa. I remember (now fondly) getting dusty and dirty in western Nebraska, learning how to shut gates, get cars stuck in the mud and check on cattle.

As Diana said to Sophie, as she instructed her how to crawl through the fence, "We'll make a cowgirl out of you yet."

And really, I guess that is my hope for Sophie and these riding lessons. I hope that she'll grasp what it feels like to be out in the wind and the sunshine in the country, on top of a horse, feeling like the world is in front of her; like anything is possible. That being outside and getting dirty is fun. That's how I felt during my week stays with my grandparents, aunts and cousins in rural Nebraska and it's a life lesson I hope to teach Sophie living here, in Southern Colorado.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Our 1950s house had a milk box in the garage. Through the remodel, we kept it. Now the kids peak out the window in the morning waiting for their Papi to come home from the hospital and take them to school. I love old houses with their little quirks!

Sunday, October 09, 2011

Sunday, October 02, 2011

Annie is my little side kick as I run around to meetings and pick out trees for parks and schools. Yesterday, we went out to Kenny G's tree farm that is donating trees to our parks. These trees are big and beautiful! Kenny and I walked through the fields and discussed the pros and cons of growing Cottons, Ashes, and Maples in Pueblo's soil. My little one followed at her own pace.

The best part of tree shopping is getting out into nature. That means getting dirty and into dirt. In Pueblo, that often means heading out to the County, also known as the Mesa. This area is not only Pueblo's agricultural heart, but also much of Colorado's. Here, Annie had fun climbing up the dirt hill, that is, until the fire ants (as Sophie calls them) came out. Mommy to the rescue her. Peeling those little red suckers off of her clothes really gave me the hibijibis.

All in all, one of the things I enjoyed most about my park tree search was visiting with Kenny, who is very knowledge and passionate about planting and taking care of Pueblo's trees. Lord knows we need his passion here in Pueblo as most people think of trees as an after thought. Lucky for us and our parks, his trees are some of the most good-looking ones I've seen yet.

Hi. My name is Megan and I'm a mom to three little ones in Pueblo, Colorado. My husband is a native of Costa Rica and we are proud to be raising our kids to love their multi-cultural heritage. As a born and bred Coloradoan, I'm committed to helping make this community be an even better place to live for my kids and loved ones. For me, this has meant getting involved in promoting local walkability and bikability issues that can help make us all healthier, happier, and more connected to one another. It also means getting out often and enjoying as much of our local community as we can. This blog chronicles our life doing both in and around Pueblo.